Reuse Leftover Coffee Grounds To Keep Your Pans Sparkling Clean

Few of us tend to think about the quantity of used coffee grounds we throw out on a yearly basis. After all, we now know to think twice before reusing grounds for a second pot of joe, and not everyone lives in places where composting is a possibility. So what can be done with them?

The key is to find a second use for them, and one of the best ways to do that is to use your coffee grounds to scrub out hard-to-eliminate food residue or build-up on pots and pans. The abrasive quality of coffee grounds makes it well-suited for being repurposed as an all-natural replacement for chemical-based solutions like Barkeeper's Friend. 

For the best results, grab a handful of coffee grounds, add them to the pot or pan with some warm water and dish soap, and use a soft sponge to scrub out the hard-to-tackle food crusts. Not only will this break up the caked-on detritus and give new life to your coffee grounds, but it can also help keep a smaller carbon footprint, as regular abrasive sponges tend to be made from fossil fuel-based plastics.

This trick is particularly effective for use on stubborn burned food on pans like stainless steel and cast iron, which can be ruined by classic pan cleaning mistakes such as using cold water on a still-hot pan or employing steel wool. Trying to clean a hot cast iron pan can cause it to crack, and steel wool is overly abrasive; while it might seem like using such a heavy-duty scrubber will speed up the process, it can scratch the pan, causing it to rust faster. 

If you're more of a Keurig user than a drip coffee or French press person, don't worry! You can just as easily use coffee pods to clean pans. If you've just brewed a cup, let the pod cool first, then open it up and use the grounds inside the same way as described above. Rinse the pan out and give it a secondary wash with a soapy sponge. Just make sure you don't rinse them down the drain! We suggest rinsing the pan over a fine-mesh strainer to catch your grounds.

While you will still have to dispose of the grounds at the end of the day, whether adding it to your soil to help fertilize your garden or simply throwing it away, at least you can sleep easy knowing you've gotten as much use out of those humble grounds as possible. And the best part is, you're not just cleaning the pans — the coffee grounds also act as a natural deodorizer, getting rid of stubborn food smells as easily as it gets rid of the food itself.